The invention regards a method for recognizing audio-visual data in transmission networks, in particular Internet. For watching over the net it is not necessary to verify the contents of determined data, but only their format. In Internet today there are presented, transmitted and/or downloaded data files. Data are also proposed as so called Live-Streams, i.e. transmitted in a quasi-continuous way—with live or on demand audio-visual contents. Various determined formats are used from Microsoft, Real Networks, MPEG and others. Due to the better access for the Internet surfers and to the very great offer of music, the presence of musical data files in the mp3 format (MPEG 1, 2 and 2.5 Layer 3) in particular has increased in an exponential way. This method is known from the international standards ISO/IEC 11172-3 and 11318-3. The copyrights of the authors and the publishers, as well as other possible rights, of the said music files, are usually not taken in consideration by the Internet surfers during the downloads and very often by the exhibitors too. We can expect other coding methods to be used in different networks, like e.g. MPEG 4 AAC or MPEG 4 Twin VQ/AAC, mp3pro, AACPlus or MPEG 4 Video and also proprietor not standardized methods of Companies which have gained a place on the market, the so called Industry Standards.
Usually mp3-files are available on web-servers and can be reached by browsers like e.g. Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, or others, using an URL (Unified Resource Location). If the Internet surfer could store an Audio or Video file on his or her own computer, he or she can reach it usually by clicking, i.e. controlling the web contents by means of the mouse, on the corresponding name, which indicates a piece of music, a film, a Radio or TV program. The file is transferred from the Internet to the user through a TCP/IP or FTP/IP or UDP/IP protocol, or possibly with RTP or RTSP. Due to the separation of the application from the IP protocol, it is not possible to know the format used in the transmission. This is valid for the last router of the Internet surfer too.
There is no control possibility for analyzing not allowable audio-visual files or formats and stopping the Internet access or transmission. Consequently the proprietors of rights e.g. for texts, music, movies, productions, lose all or part of their incomes. Padlocks are provided, which should prevent that, with the effect that corresponding unlocking algorithms are developed and the payment for the audio-visual productions are again circumvented.